


Cult of Society (ABANDONED)

by VincentMeoblinn



Series: Finish Me [30]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Dom/sub, F/M, Gang Rape, M/M, Masturbation, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Rape Recovery, Rimming, society
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:23:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2066268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VincentMeoblinn/pseuds/VincentMeoblinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sisko and crew find a pod containing survivors from Deep Space Nine years after they were presumed dead and head to the planet where they discover only the men and children- led by Elim Garak and Julian Bashir- have survived, but what killed off all the women and why are the men acting so strange?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Was Lost Has Been Found, But In An Altered State

**Author's Note:**

> Tags will be added as needed with warnings posted at the head of each chapter.

The war had been hard. Captain Sisko was relieved to find a weak signal from possible survivors on a Class L moon in the Bajor system named Goasha that had no resources worth cultivating and a climate that made Dax shiver.

“65 degrees Celsius during the day and 20 below 0 at night,” Dax stated with a sigh, “Barely habitable.”

“I’m assuming you haven’t actually told us about the habitable part?” Sisko asked.

“There’s a gigantic plant population, much of it edible, water- when it isn’t frozen- a cave system that extends throughout the moon, and a very lively population of animals that had barely begun being classified before the war broke out.”

“A Cardassian could survive that heat,” Kira pointed out, “And there _was_ a Cardassian on the escape pod Julian took out of DS9 before the last bombing.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Sisko warned, “That signal is weak and no one has been trying to boost it or make any outgoing calls. We’re all familiar with losing people, let’s not get too excited just because our first search and rescue since the peace treaty was signed may actually have results.”

“Oh, yeah,” Dax teased, “You don’t sound hopeful at all.”

“I’d like to believe Julian is alive, but after five years and three months?” Sisko sighed, “Let’s get a team together. Refresh my memory, who was on that pod besides Bashir and Garak?”

“Three federation medical students under Bashir,” Kira recited off a tablet, “Four cadets, A Ferengi barkeep who had been feeding us information by the name of Kor, and… Jake Sisko.”

Heads turned, glares were passed Kira’s way. No one had mentioned Jake in over a year. Not since it was confirmed that Bajor was out of anyone’s reach and the shuttle that had crashed somewhere in that area had not checked in. Not since Jakes funeral.

“What were federation medical students and cadets doing here with a _war_ at your doorsteps?” Cadet Ballif asked, looking up from her screen in confusion.

There was silence at that indignant cry and Kira sighed and walked over to her, bending forward to lean over her station and whisper her reply: “Listen. I know you’re fresh from Academy and full of rules, but the fact is when there’s a war on the rules get bent and broken more than followed. We needed doctors. They were running out. They sent us babies. We didn’t question it. No one did. Same with the other cadets.”

“Those ‘babies’ are probably dead, along with our Captain’s only son,” Ballif whispered back, face tense, “They were as young as I am and no one would ship _me_ out here until the hostiles were all cleaned up.”

“If you aren’t ready to see their bodies I suggest you stay up here,” Kira whispered back.

She moved across to where Sisko was in the midst of a silent conversation with Dax. Their hands were clasped tightly, but she made sure not to notice. They thought of each other as brothers, despite the fact Dax was female in this body… and had been in the previous one. She’d always be ‘old man’ to Sisko. Kira wasn’t about to become jealous, she knew who Ezri was coming home with.

XXX

They beamed down to the surface a few feet from the pod; it was early evening so the temperatures were bearable. The pod was, as they had found when scanning it, nose up in a hole in the ground with vegetation growing over it.

“One thing you can say for this place,” Kira quipped, “It’s a vegan paradise. A lot of these plants are edible.”

“The plants grow at an accelerated rate,” Ezri explained, “And their bark and leaves are extra thick due to the cold they have to endure at night.”

O’Brien was setting up a portable winch, which burrowed into the ground and then extended a small tractor beam to pull the shuttle out. Once it was out of the whole there was less interference and O’Brien and the shuttle were beamed into storage on DS9. There he opened the vessel up and began reviewing the files inside.

“Okay, the last personal log was placed by Julian,” O’Brien informed via communicator, “He lists coordinates for a cave system they’re making way for. Turns out the ship didn’t start out nose up. They’d been living in it for some time- he doesn’t mention how long and I haven’t looked at the previous logs- but when the ground caved in beneath them they couldn’t right it again and left to avoid going mad since there was standing room only. There are some sort of burrowing creatures down there, Julian doesn’t describe them but his tone makes it sound as if they’re harmless. They’re using their tunnels to travel. That was nearly 8 months ago. Julian also mentions pregnant women and… sir… he seems off.”

“Off?” Sisko asked in concern.

“He’s shaking and he looks jumpy. He says there’s been fighting. He’s covered in bruises.”

“Understood,” Sisko replied, “We have those coordinates, we’ll be heading there now.”

“I’ll have to beam you,” O’Brien stated, “The weather is about to turn frigid. You lot have uniforms on that will keep you warm enough to survive, but you won’t be comfy. I’ll send you straight there so you’ll be skipping the hours of walking.”

“They might not have made it there,” Sisko pointed out practically, “We’ll walk it.”

“Sir, faster route is beaming. Then you can backtrack tomorrow when there’s light to see.”

“Very well, Chief. Four on your go.”

Sisko, Dax, Kira, and Ballif watched the world shimmer away and then back into focus again. They were at the mouth of a cave and the air was already turning frigid. Shivering with could they headed down into the cave system where they were greeted by the less-than-reassuring sight of several old pits where fires had been set up. They were long cold, blown over, with tracks of animals walking through them.

“No one has been here for a long time,” Sisko stated softly.

They followed the torches on the walls until they reached a central area where it looked as though people had lived for some time, judging by all the detritus. There was a little cave off to one side where Ballif’s tricorder picked up carbon readings. They headed in there to find the remains of three people, long decomposed, curled up around a pit that had housed a fire.

“Female,” Ballif informed them, “All three and… they’d all given birth before death. I don’t think any of the women in that party were mothers before they turned up here.”

“After five years birth control shots would wear off,” Dax pointed out, “When did they die?”

“Two years ago,” Ballif replied.

They searched the remaining caves but found nothing. When they tried to contact O’Brien they found that the caves heavy minerals prevented contact. They had to work their way out to the frigid outdoors where the tropical paradise had become a blizzard in under two hours. O’Brien beamed them back aboard and they warmed up with some hot tea while he explained what he’d found in the records.

“Apparently,” O’Brien stated with a confused tone, “They’d set up a bit of a society for themselves.”

“That makes sense,” Dax replied, “They’d be looking for stability, especially after such a long time.”

“The problem is… it wasn’t exactly up to Federation standards.”

“How so?” Sisko asked.

“It was based off of Bonobos.”

“Whats?” Dax asked.

“Bonobos,” Ballif stated, her tone informative, “Were primates on earth whose extremely peaceful society was based on sex. It was matriarchal.”

“That’s what Cadet Billings said,” O’Brien replied with a nod, “She was the only one leaving regular reports besides Julian. She explained that she and the rest of the women had ‘tamed the menfolk’, as she put it, by rewarding them with sex.”

“Sounds delightful,” Dax decided with a smile.

“Not exactly,” O’Brien stated, shifting uneasily, “Her report seemed a bit… she said the men were only useful for two things: sex and feeding them. She talked about us as if we were an inferior species!”

“That’s a bit alarming,” Sisko replied, “What else?”

“She was pregnant at the time. She said with her second. Then the reports stopped, that was a month before she died in that cave you lot found.”

“So they were making trips back to the shuttle to report in,” Sisko replied, “That explains the patchy record keeping. That’s a lot of land on two legs.”

“Julian mentioned using tunnels. Apparently the digging worm creatures were very docile. They used their tunnels to get from one point to another quickly, including back to the pod. They even rode on them, but there was a chance of being crushed.”

“So they could be anywhere on that surface,” Sisko sighed.

“They could be anywhere _under_ the surface,” Dax pointed out, “They’ll be keeping underground where the temperature is more stable.”

“So we just need to find more caves in a moon that is populated by violent weather changes, overactive plants, and giant burrowing worms,” Sisko replied, “Anyone want to start looking tomorrow?”

There were several volunteers, so they made their plans and headed to bed to start again the next shift.

It took them three days to find the next camp, and when they did it was close to noon and the full-body suits they were wearing to protect them from the sun and heat were stifling. They stepped into the cave and stripped down to regular uniforms before following the unlit torches placed at even points along the wall. Dax noted that the soot was recent, as recent as the night before, and Ballif pointed out that there were wear patterns along the wall as well as the floor.

“I believe during the day they must keep the torches unlit due to the heat. They’re running their hands along the wall to find their way.”

They followed the trail down twisting passages until they reached a cavern that opened up to reveal a group of men wearing absolutely no clothing walking about and chatting happily. Some ground grain, some cooked, others beat furs hung across poles, and the sound of infants crying and children laughing reached their ears.

One of the men stood up, ceased playing the flute he was holding, and shouted excitedly, “Dad? Dad!”

Jake Sisko bolted for his elated father and they embraced tightly.

“You’re alive!” Sisko all but sobbed, “I _buried_ you!”

“Well, that’s kind of ironic since I’ve been living in a cave,” Jake laughed, and they embraced again.

More people were moving towards them and they found themselves surrounded by the sweaty inhabitants of the over-warm cave. They were all talking at once, wanting to know who had won the war, if Bajor was part of the Federation at last, and if their loved ones were alive.

“Hang on, now, hang on everyone!” Sisko shouted above the throng, “We’ll get all those answers to you. First off, Bajor is part of the Federation, the Dominion is long gone, and Cardassia is petitioning to join as well. I can’t tell you who is and isn’t alive at the moment, but once we return to the station you’ll be able to find out for yourselves.”

Silence fell. Several people backed up, and Sisko gaped as he saw fear filling their eyes.

“We’re not leaving,” A voice called out.

“Who said that?” Sisko asked, looking out across the group.

Julian Bashir pressed through the group and stood before his former Captain with a toddler on his hip.

“We’re not leaving. This is our home.”

 


	2. The Best of Intentions

The pod had gone off course three months ago, likely due to some sort of computer malfunction, and dumped them in a barely habitable rock with more vegetation than he’d thought was possible. Julian had climbed out of their pod with their tricorder and started scanning for edible plants. Their distress transmissions were on a low frequency due to a wish to avoid summoning the wrong side of the war, so they knew they would be hunkering down for a bit. It was tight quarters; the pod was meant to take you someplace you could survive, not be your place to survive. Sadly the state of the planet was deadly to them 90% of the time.

His medical students- Shan, Hasta, and Jane- whom he felt personally responsible for, followed behind him to pluck up and bag every plant he pointed to. They were three lovely women who had caused him to be the butt of every lecherous joke available. Most people felt he’d manipulated the system, but the truth was he didn’t even find Fallians attractive and the other two were far too young for him. He found them more annoying than attractive, especially since all three had rather intense crushes on him.

“We should hurry,” Julian insisted, “We need to get this food back to the rest before that sun rises and we start to bake.”

The pod being heavily insulated made it bearable inside, though it still reached uncomfortable temperatures for most during the day and for Garak at night. Julian was just starting to think about how he could help his Cardassian friend stay warmer at night when a loud crash behind them alerted him to a disaster. Julian and his three students fled back to the crash site to find a gigantic hole. Someone was opening the door to the pod as Julian slid down in alarm.

“Anyone hurt?” Julian asked.

“For someone as intelligent as you claim to be,” Garak groaned, pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the doorway, “You ask some very _idiotic_ questions.”

“Move if you’re well enough to mock me!” Julian snapped, and Garak obeyed without argument.

Inside he found people groaning and shifting about, trying to get up off of the people they’d landed on when the oblong, two-compartment pod had dropped twenty feet down and landed rump first. Julian took note of those who were screaming in pain, those who were unconscious, and those who were merely grumbling.

“Kor, shut up and get out! Ralph, help Jake up and keep people from jostling his leg! Carefully! T’palla stop acting brave and sit down! Eric move!”

Julian dropped down and took Veren’s pulse, studying the Bajoran’s face as he weakly opened his eyes and blinked up at Julian.

“Doctor?”

“Don’t move, you’re concussed,” Julian explained, as he scanned him, “And you’ve got two broken ribs. Lucky man, you could have punctured a lung but you haven’t.”

“Don’t feel lucky,” He whispered, likely unable to draw a full breath.

“Hold on, I’ll patch you up,” Julian reassured him, then moved on to assess T’palla’s injuries.

T’palla was also concussed but had a skull fracture to boot. There was some bleeding on her brain that he’d have to repair urgently. Veren and Jake would have to wait. Julian moved quickly to get to the medical kit, having to climb up on a window ledge to reach it, but it was missing. He swore and searched about on the floor to find it crushed under a broken chair.

“Damn!” Bashir shouted angrily, and then set about trying to get the most important tools working.

T’palla meanwhile, was whimpering in pain. Most people who could had moved out of the shuttle and his medical students were treating minor injuries, but they’d all have to move back _inside_ if they wanted to survive the day. He was working as fast as he could, but people were already sliding back into the shuttle, sweat drenching their bodies, when he finally got the device to spark to life. He’d had to sacrifice his tricorder to do so, but it was worthwhile if it saved T’palla’s life.

Julian stood up and headed for her as the doors slammed shut above them, leaving Garak outside as was his want while they all huddled in boiling misery. T’palla’s face was pale and drawn; her head wound a shocking black on her temple. As he approached she let out a whimper and then began to convulse. Julian shouted for assistance and his medics pushed their way through the crowd to get to T’palla. They managed to stabilize her, but as he was attempting to release the pressure from her brain something went horribly wrong.

Julian stared in horror, even his advanced brain taking a moment to process the sight of someone’s head _actually exploding_ , and then he stood up slowly and simply stared down at T’palla’s remains and his three horrified medical students who were covered in green blood and grey brain matter.

“What happened?” Shan demanded.

“I don’t know,” Julian replied, “It was damaged. I thought I repaired it but I was obviously wrong.”

“ _Obviously_!” Hasta shouted, “She’s dead! You killed her!”

“That’s _enough_ nurse!” Julian snapped, reminding her of her lower status. She had a few more tests to pass before she’d be even close to skilled enough to criticize him, even after such a terrible error. “Let’s get her moved, she can’t stay here.”

“Moved _where_?” Shan asked.

Julian glanced around at their tiny prison, “There are body bags in that compartment there. Someone healthy climb up. I’m going to set Jake’s leg.”

The day was a grueling one. Everyone stared at the body bag that they’d had to hang from a seat in order to give them enough room to stand about. No one wanted to be there, but going outside meant death. At first they were all silent, but by the end of the day they’d taken to petty arguments and Ralph had punched Eric, adding to their list of injuries now that there was no way to easily heal anyone. Julian attempted to maintain order, shouting above them and throwing his rank around, but it was quickly devolving into mob mentality. Finally Garak opened the hatch above them.

“It’s getting chilly,” He stated, “Time for all good little Cardassians to be in bed, and all naughty Federation… what’s happened here?”

“Don’t ask,” Julian replied miserably, “Just help us out.”

One by one they climbed into fresh air and spread out, taking the two hours before the sun set and the planet became drenched in ice to get away from each other. Julian stalked about, studying the plants around him and trying to recall which were edible. The tricorder was beyond repair and he’d been relying on it far too heavily. He plucked a few plants and ate them, staring miserably around himself, but was so lost in guilty thoughts that he didn’t even hear the footsteps behind him.

XXX

Round and round they went, Sisko trying to get sense out of the survivors and them being obstinate. Most had lost interest in them and gone back to their work; only Jake and Julian remained, still naked as the day they had been born. Sisko was becoming jealous as the heat in the cavern made him sweat. Yet he was getting nowhere in their discussion. They had no logical reasons for wanting to stay, but they were refusing to leave.

“Let me try,” Dax suggested, then moved closer to sit down beside Julian.

Julian pulled away from her jumping to his feet and moving a few steps away with an anxious look on his face.

“Julian, it’s me! Dax! I’m just a new Dax is all. Ezri Dax, pleased to meet you,” She smiled and held out her hand but Julian looked even more upset.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Julian stammered, and all but fled.

Jake stood up slowly and opened his mouth to make his excuse but Garak took that moment to return, dragging what appeared to be a cart behind him loaded up with dead animals.

“Food’s up!” Garak shouted cheerfully.

Garak was bare from the waist up, his hair was longer and pulled back in a braid. He’d not lost the softening around his middle, but muscle had clearly built up beneath it. He looked around cheerfully as the group rose up once more and ran towards him joyfully. Dax and Sisko exchanged shocked looks as everyone rushed him, some pressing kisses to his cheek. Bashir threw his arms around Garak’s neck and kissed him heatedly on the lips. Then he let Bashir slip aside as he scooped up the toddler the doctor had been carrying earlier and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Hello, my love,” Garak smiled at Bashir, “I see we have guests.”

Bashir led Garak over, his arm wrapped around the Cardassian’s, and gave the group from DS9 a far more confident smile.

“You all remember El… I mean Garak,” Bashir smiled.

“It’s a pleasure!” Garak smiled happily, “More than a pleasure! As much as I’ve enjoyed my fame here- and I have become _most_ infamous- I’m missing my shop and quiet life quite a bit. When do we return?”

“You’ll have to ask Dr. Bashir about that,” Sisko replied, a fake smile plastered on.

“Oh?” Garak asked, giving Bashir a surprised look, “Is there some… unfinished business, my dear?”

“No… none… I… we… could I talk to you in private?” Bashir stammered.

“Of course,” Garak replied, and then gave the others a polite nod and led Bashir aside.

Sisko watched in confusion as Bashir and Garak had an animated conversation, Garak becoming more and more touchy-feely with him as the minutes ticked by, until he had Bashir pressed fully against himself as they spoke softly together. Finally Garak returned with a pleasant smile on his face.

“My mistake, Captain,” Garak chirped cheerfully, “You’re most welcome to stay as long as you like and enjoy our hospitality, but we will _not_ be going with you.”

“If this is about the children…” Sisko started.

“The _children_ may go with you,” Garak replied.

“I beg your pardon?” Sisko asked, looking shocked, “You’re sending the children without the parents?”

“If any of the parents wish to go they may. I think you’ll find that most do not.”

“But _why_?” Sisko demanded.

A sad smile flickered across Garak’s face and then was quickly hidden behind his normal cheerful, yet deceitful smile: “That would be telling.”

Sisko moved to the surface to contact the ship, glad he was alone when he got his report from O’Brien.

_“Sir, I’ve got a bit of shocking news. Are you alone?”_

“Go ahead.”

_“The pod was sabotaged. It was meant to land on that rock.”_

“Now, I wonder who would force a life pod to land on a planet only a Cardassian could move about freely on rather than Bajor?” Sisko wondered.

“ _Who indeed?_ ” O’Brien agreed.

“Send me a security team. Better make it two. And send Kaiko down as well. I’ll need a mother’s support for this.”

O’Brien was confused by his words, but did as he said and Sisko marched down to the depths of the cave to arrest Elim Garak and force the survivor’s hand at the same time.


	3. Chapter 3

**WARNING PLS READ: This story is NOT meant to: Devalue rape victims, support rape culture, state or imply that women claim rape when rape has not occurred, make women look bad/like rapists, imply that rape changes sexuality, or imply that rape changes gender identification. If that is what you take away from it then you are not reading closely enough.**

**This story IS meant to show that men can also be victims of rape and that women can be perpetrators, to give voice to men who are too afraid to speak up and step forward because even _judges_  have laughed at the idea that a man can be sexually assaulted, to show that arousal and orgasm does not mean consent for men any more than it does for women, and to give me an excuse to have Protective!Garak/Bashir sex in a cave.**

 

When they’d brought everyone on board the ship they’d walked them to the medical wing to get them all checked out. On the way Bashir had started to sweat and shake, but everyone had behaved as if he wasn’t there at all and Sisko had been left to ask if he was unwell. He’d shaken his head and replied that he was feeling a bit claustrophobic. They’d continued to the ward and three doctors set about giving them their exams at once with the staff hurriedly working to process them.

“A male doctor,” Bashir snapped at one of the nurses, “I’ve a right to be gender specific when it comes to my doctor.”

Sisko walked over to where they were standing with a frown on his face. Bashir was acting beyond strange.

“I’m sorry, doctor,” The nurse replied, her tone broaching on frustrated, “We’re all busy and Dr. Tangasti is available.

“Then I’ll wait.”

“You’re the last one.”

“Then my wait won’t be long,” Bashir snapped. The nurse huffed off, muttering about arrogant doctors, and Sisko stepped forward to tease him in a friendly way.

“I’ve never known you to turn down the company of a lady,” Sisko smiled.

“You won’t know me to do that anymore. I’m gay now,” Bashir replied, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

“Just like that?” Sisko asked in surprise, “I wasn’t aware that sort of thing just… changed.”

“It’s not much of a change,” Bashir shrugged, “I _was_ bisexual. Now I’m gay. The only thing that has changed is that my dating pool is 50% smaller.”

Suddenly Bashir stiffened, stood up straight, and stared around himself in alarm. Then he laughed, rubbing at his temple in amusement, and shook his head as he laughed at his own reaction.

“I thought Elim was here. I’d forgotten you arrested him.”

“He’d have something to say about you dating?” Sisko asked.

“He’s a right to. We’re practically married.”

“I’d congratulate you if I hadn’t just arrested him for treason.”

Bashir shrugged, “He’ll talk his way out of it. He always does.”

“You seem oddly unconcerned about his fate for someone practically married to him.”

Bashir smiled at him, the first expression Sisko had seen that was familiar, “I know Elim. He’ll be fine. He’s done nothing wrong either way. Nothing worse than the rest of us have, at least.”

“And what have the rest of you done?” Sisko asked.

“I’ll make a deal with you. If you let him go _I’ll_ tell you. If you keep him locked up, _they’ll_ tell you,” Bashir replied, nodding towards the other room where the rest of the group who had gathered to chat and wait for the exams to be over.

Sisko’s eyebrows furrowed, “Which will give me the truth?”

“Me. No one else knows what really happened.”

“Then I order you to give me the truth,” Sisko replied dryly.

“Sorry sir,” Bashir laughed bitterly, “I resigned. Remember? Besides I’m no longer fit to serve. I’ll offer to stay on as a doctor, but I’ll understand if you turn down my application.”

“That’s looking likely at this point,” Sisko replied irritably, “Why would I keep someone here who keep secrets from me and is disobedient?”

“I’ve been wondering that since Elim first introduced himself to me,” Bashir smirked.

“Taking lessons from him, are you?”

“I suppose I’ve picked up a few bad habits,” Bashir chuckled, “But if it makes you feel any better I haven’t told _anyone_ the truth. That’s why they haven’t got it.”

“Definitely taking lessons,” Sisko stated with a raised eyebrow.

The doctor came over at that point, but it was the female doctor rather than the male one.

“Where did Dr. Thompson go?” Bashir asked.

“He’s off duty. So is Kirsten. I’m Dr Jane Samuels and I’ll be looking after…”

“No,” Bashir stated, “I waited for him, he can postpone going off duty until my exam is over.”

“That’s not…” Samuels stammered, glancing at Sisko in frustration.

“When I was head here-” Bashir started.

“But you’re not,” Sisko cut him off, “Up on the table and stop making a fuss.”

“ _Not_ your subordinate anymore,” Bashir snapped.

“I’m still in charge of this station and you will comply or I will call security!”

Bashir gave him a terrified look and shrank back against the wall, “A nurse. A male nurse. There are two over there. Let them examine me.”

“They’re not doctors,” Samuels pointed out.

“ _I’m_ a doctor. I’ll make sure they’re doing it right,” Bashir insisted, his tone turning panicky.

“Julian,” Sisko tried, his tone softer, “What is going on? Why not a female nurse? And don’t tell me it’s because you’re gay now. That’s just ridiculous. This is a physical, not a date.”

“I have a _right_ to insist on a male doctor!” He argued stubbornly.

“He does, actually,” Dr. Samuels replied, “But Dr. Thompson was already pulling a double. He’s exhausted.”

“Very well then, a male nurse,” Sisko replied, “But you’ll oversee.”

“I don’t want her in the room while I’m naked,” Bashir argued.

“She can turn around,” Sisko replied firmly.

Bashir didn’t look happy about it, but he complied and climbed up on the table. The first part of the exam didn’t require him to do much more than sit and be scanned so there was no issue. He occasionally added instructions and so did Dr. Samuels. It wasn’t until he had to step behind the curtain and undress that things became problematic. For a few minutes he procrastinating coming out from behind the curtain, arguing that he wanted Dr. Samuels gone, until Sisko and the nurse started to softly discuss the chances he was trying to hide something. Then he emerged slowly, inched his way to the table, and sat back down without a word. Nurse Andrews continued with the exam, looking him over while chatting about changes made to the medical ward’s computers while he’d been gone. Then he turned to Dr. Samuels to ask a question and she turned around without thinking.

Bashir turned pale, started hyperventilating, and scrambled off of the table.

“Dr. Bashir?” Dr. Samuels asked, coming towards him in concern, “Dr. Bashir hold still I’m trying to help.”

“Don’t touch me!” He screamed, pressing himself into a corner and curling up, his arms thrown over his head.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sisko asked.

“It looks like a panic attack,” Nurse Thompson replied.

“I think you’re right, and I think I triggered it. Nurse, give him this sedative,” Samuels explained, pressing the hypo into his hand.

Thompson hurried over but Bashir fought him off, screaming and shouting in terror.

“Elim! ELIM! HELP!” He shouted, “You promised! You promised!”

Finally Thompson and another male nurse managed to get the sedative into him and Bashir went still, whimpering softly in fear even in his sleep.

“What caused this?” Sisko asked.

“I think he’s the only one who can answer that definitively,” Samuels replied, “But it isn’t unheard of for a person to suffer from trauma after being trapped in that sort of situation.”

Samuels headed over to a computer panel and typed for a moment, “I’m referring him to Dax. She should be able to counsel him.”

“If he’s terrified of women or doctors won’t that be a problem?” Sisko replied.

“Unless you have another counselor on the station we haven’t got much of a choice.”

XXX

“I don’t know what to think!” Sisko announced, tossing his baseball and scowling at his desk. Kira and Odo sat across from him looking equally perturbed.

“Nothing makes sense,” Kira agreed.

“Except that they’re all guilty of _something_ ,” Oda growled.

“You always think that,” Kira sighed, leaning back in her chair, “Has Julian said anything yet?”

“Not since that incident in the ward,” Sisko replied with a growl, “He told me he was the only one who knew the truth. I’m starting to think he was being honest.”

“Let’s go over it again,” Kira sighed.

“What good will that do?” Odo argued, “We already know what we don’t know. What we need are _facts_.”

Kira picked up her tablet, “So everyone saw T’Palla die, but they all have different versions as to what went down. Jake and Kor believe Julian Bashir was trying to _save_ her and killed her accidentally. Ralph, Eric, and Veren believe she was murdered. They all believe that Shan, Hasta, and Jane blamed Bashir for her death. Eric and Veren believe Bashir might have physically assaulted several of the women. Ralph insists that he was told by Shan and Hasta that Bashir raped them. Jake, Garak, and Kor all insist Bashir would never rape anyone and Garak claims they were already lovers and therefore Bashir had no reason to go looking for sex outside of their relationship. _No one_ has an explanation as to why Bashir is terrified of women!”

“Garak is obviously lying,” Odo decided.

“How can you tell?” Kira asked.

“He always lies,” Sisko and Odo both stated firmly.

Odo continued, “That and two of those children the group brought on board are obviously Bashir’s.

“So who else is lying?” Kira asked, “The reports Shan, Hasta, and Jane put in had _no_ mention of rape, but a _lot_ of hatred towards men. In fact, their reports indicated they were using sex to manipulate the men into behaving, but that they had no choice because Garak was trying to stage some sort of rebellion and seize control!”

“Which looks accurate from all accounts,” Odo nodded, “He is the one alive, and they are the ones dead.”

“The question is, who is the victim here?” Sisko asked, “Bashir is behaving like one, but he is _also_ alive and every woman on that pod is now dead. That certainly implies a rather terrifying prospect.”

“You think it’s the genetic modification,” Odo said softly, “That Bashir has finally lost his mind.”

“It certainly looks that way,” Sisko replied miserably, “Either way he’d probably be happier in your jail cell with his partner.”

“Hmm, but partner in what?” Odo wondered, “Just in bed, or in other ways as well? _Someone_ gave up the station, and we never did find out whom. Now we have a ship illegally detoured, four people dead under suspicious circumstances, a claim from a spy that he was intimate with our doctor during the sabotage incident, and that same doctor who is apparently suffering a mental breakdown.”

“Perhaps Dax can talk some sense into him,” Kira replied hopefully.

“A question for you two,” Sisko asked, standing and walking over to his windows to stare out at the silent area where the wormhole still lay. There was a gate there now, a large ring that stopped the wormhole from opening without permission.

“Yes?” Kira prompted when Sisko lost himself in thought.

“Have you two seen anyone speak to Bashir besides Garak?”

Kira and Odo exchanged alarmed glances.

“Now that you mention it when we were down on the planet no one even looked at him,” Kira replied, “Jake was sitting right next to him and it was as if he were talking to you alone.”

“I noticed that as well,” Sisko nodded, “He let Dr. Bashir speak, was respectful of him, but if he said something that Jake might have responded or added to Jake just ignored it. He’d even go so far as to repeat it as if no one had said it at all.”

“What does it all _mean_?” Kira asked.

“Like I said,” Odo growled, “They’re all guilty of _something_. Why else do we get nothing but shrugs and blank stares when we ask what happened to those three women in the cave?”

XXX

Julian’s head was throbbing when he woke up, his eyes blurred for several minutes as he blinked and tried to get himself together. Finally he saw the faces of his attackers and stared in confusion.

“What… what are you doing?” Julian asked, staring up at his medical students… his _naked_ medical students… one of whom was stroking his cock and rubbing his testicles. He was already half hard and with his consciousness returned that process was speeding up.

“We’re tired of you not respecting us Julian,” Shan explained, “So we’re running an experiment.”

Julian pulled at his arms only to find that they were restrained. He stared down at his open clothes, still confused by what was going on. He did his best to think unsexy thoughts (Sisko in drag… Kira and Gul Dukat…) but his body had been denied regular release for months now.

“What… what sort of experiment?” Julian asked, “Oh, and stop _touching_ me. It inhibits my ability to think.”

“Good,” Hasta replied, “You already think you’re too good for us without all those altered genes. The less you think the better.”

Hasta’s blue-green skin nearly blended in with the plant life around her, which would have been beautiful had she not been settling herself in his lap with the intention of having sex with him against his will.

“I hate to sound like a Federation Sexual Harassment tape, but _no means no_. Get off me,” Julian snapped, shifting his hips away.

Shan and Jane pinned his hips down. He tried kicking his legs, but they were fighting him and laughing at his struggle, twisting around to sit on them until pain shot through his knees and thighs. Hasta pinned his hips and slid down his shaft, grinning wickedly at him while Julian cursed his body for responding despite his disgust for the situation. He fought for a moment longer, but she was only using his motions to enjoy herself more. Frustrated and ashamed, he turned his head away and lay still, waiting for her to tire of him or finish. Hasta continued to moan and wriggle on him, arching her hips in a way he’d have found beautiful if she hadn’t murdered his free will by having him tied up and taking him violently. In fact, she added to the violence by clawing his chest, leaving him hissing in pain and wriggling despite his decision not to move. They all laughed at him and she did it again, but this time he managed to hold still and glare at her through it.

“I’m close,” She moaned, “Don’t you dare come yet. We’re all getting a turn.”

“He’s genetically altered,” Jane pointed out, “I bet he can go for hours.”

“Yeah, well we only have another hour before…” Shan started, but was interrupted by Hasta climaxing loudly.

Her clenching body brought Julian over the edge and he came while swearing in outrage at his own body’s betrayal. She laughed at him, bounced a few more times, and then climbed off while he turned his head away in shame. As Shan crawled onto his still throbbing member he felt his mind drifting away. A part of him recognized it as a mental self-defense mechanism, his brains way of preserving his sanity during a traumatic experience, while the rest just wafted in the clouds of dissociation.

Julian came crashing back when Shan climbed off of him without trying to pin him properly since he’d been behaving submissively for so long. Shan and Jane trading places gave Julian his first proper opportunity to fight back and he lashed out instantly, wrenching a leg free and kicking Jane square in the jaw. She flew backwards and lay still while Hasta and Shan struggled with him. He managed to kick them a few times, though less successfully, but they soon pinned him again. Jane scrambled up, her face scuffed and her nose bleeding, sat on his chest, and proceeded to pummel him. Julian turned his head away to minimize damage, but she was relentless and his face, neck, and shoulders were soon a swollen mess.

The good news was that he’d lost his erection, the bad was that they weren’t through with him and had worked him up to hard again when the temperature began to drop below comfortable. His erection quickly wilted again and the women swore angrily. The three women dressed quickly while he shivered and his teeth chattered. Jane cut his bonds and then kicked him soundly in the side before he could roll out of the way. The three women took off into the woods and Julian was left to quickly tidy up his uniform while following after them.

The ground was already starting to frost, his breath misty in front of him. He lost their trail after a few minutes and was left wandering blindly, not sure where he was and shaking violently from the bitter cold. His eyes were tearing up to keep them from freezing, the tears then freezing on his lashes, when he finally made it back to familiar grounds. He found the shuttle quickly after that and battered on the door until they let him in. He toppled the distance down into the pod, ending up being caught by all the people below who threw their arms up out of self-preservation. He was passed across to where his medical students stood and lowered down, presumably to be looked over by them since he’d been out in the cold for so long.

Julian drew away from them, horrified as much by the proximity of his rapists as he was by the fact he was suddenly terrified.

“Oh dear,” Julian chattered, “I seem to be having a panic attack.”

“Sure you are,” Jane replied sardonically through her swollen lips, “How convenient that you’re claiming mental instability _after_ you attacked us.”

“A panic attack isn’t a sign of mental instability,” Julian tried to reply, but what came out was a terrified scream as Hasta reached out to dab at him with an antiseptic soaked cloth.

He writhed on the ground, trying to get away from them frantically as they tried to tend his wounds. Finally an arm wrapped around his neck from behind, cutting off his air and frightening him into stillness, and a deep voice hissed in his ear.

“Hold still, my dear. I’ll protect you. Nothing to be afraid of. Shhhh, Elim is here. Just relax. I’m watching everything they do.”

Julian went limp, and not only from the lack of airflow. The arm eased up and he took in a shaky breath.

“I’ll do that, thank you,” Garak stated firmly, and Julian was sat back against the wall.

Garak came in front of him and began dabbing at his cut and swollen lip and nose.

“You need to check him for frostbite,” Shan informed Garak.

“I can manage, thank you,” Garak replied, continuing to tend his wounds.

When the women shifted away from him Garak leaned closer to Julian while they all huddled so close that it was impossible to _not_ touch someone. Julian was fairly certain that he had inadvertently kicked several of his neighbors, which would explain the irritated glares he was getting.

“Those three came back crying and injured,” Garak whispered carefully so as not to be overheard, “They refused to answer questions and claimed they had no idea where you were. One of them took the time to mutter ‘this is just like T’Palla’ loudly enough to be overheard.”

Julian didn’t reply. He was still fighting down panic and wanted to curl up in a ball and cry like a child, but his pride was holding him back. Garak didn’t press him for an explanation. He didn’t even look as if he wanted one. He just leaned forward and whispered into Julian’s ear once again.

“Stay close to me tonight. I need the warmth and you need…” He left the last bit off and Julian found himself pressed against Garak’s side, an arma round his shoulders, shifting as far away from others as he could.

 


	4. Plans for the Future

“ _Odo to Captain Sisko_.”

“Sisko here, go ahead.”

“ _I’ve had a break in and I’m not sure on how to handle it.”_

There was a confused pause as Sisko sat back from his dinner and gave his date a bewildered look.

“Please repeat?” He asked.

_“I said I’ve had a break in and I’m not sure on how to handle it. There’s nothing in station rules to explain what to do in this situation, nor have I any precedence on record.”_

“Are you injured?” Sisko asked, just to be sure.

_“No sir.”_

“Is someone from your team injured?”

“ _No sir. I’m on duty with one other and he’s completely unharmed. No undue force was used. They just… broke in.”_

“Let me try this again,” Sisko sighed, rubbing at his forehead, “You’re telling me that your prisoner has escaped and you- the Chief of Security- don’t know what to do about it?”

_“No sir.”_

“No sir?” Sisko asked in confusion.

“ _No sir. No one has escaped. I said they broke IN, not OUT.”_

Sisko checked his glass to make sure that it was, in fact, only water, and then bid his lovely date goodnight.

“I’ll be right there.”

Sisko walked in on a scene that should have been expected given Odo’s mysterious hints, but he was still shocked. Curled up in Garak’s cell, surrounding him and draped across all available surfaces, were the surviving members of the rescue. Bashir in particular shouldn’t have even been out of the medical ward where he was undergoing psychiatric evaluation, but the rest of them had all been given perfectly decent quarters. Why they were all snugged down with Garak in prison was a mystery.

“How did they get in?”

“Bashir,” Odo explained, “He walked in during visitors hours and must have tampered with something. When he returned with the lot of them he just walked up, waved a simple tricorder over the door panels, and it let him in without issue. I shouted at them, of course, and I threatened to fire if they continued on, but they raised their hands and insisted they were being nonviolent. I then told them I’d arrest them all if they opened his cell. They opened his cell, stepped in, and settled down to sleep without paying me any mind. I shut the cell behind them as a precaution… just in case it _was_ an attempt to break out.”

“Good call,” Sisko replied wryly, “Where is Bashir’s doctor?”

“Sleeping off a heavy dose of sedatives,” Odo replied with an annoyed grunt.

“Fantastic,” Sisko sighed, “Open the cell.”

Odo complied and Sisko stepped carefully over the sleeping forms. They seemed dead to the world, snoring away comfortably while using each other as pillows. In the midst of it all were Garak and Bashir. While people were pressed against Garak, Bashir had a foot gap between himself and the rest of the huddled group. Sisko nudged him.

“Doctor,” He stated.

“Oh,” Bashir blinked tiredly, “Sorry. We got used to sleeping through quite a bit of noise from all those storms. No predators, so no reason to stay alert.”

“Yes, it would seem so,” The Captain nodded, “And isn’t it amazing how you’re a wealth of information about everything _except_ the three dead women on that planet?”

“You shouldn’t be questioning me,” Bashir replied, “I’m under psychiatric evaluation. I could have another panic attack.”

“Go back to sleep, my dear,” Garak sighed heavily.

Bashir snuggled back down as if that were a fantastic idea, tucking Garak’s head against his chest. Sisko poked them again.

“Mr. Garak, perhaps _you_ can explain to me why no one will look at, touch, or speak to my former Chief Medical Officer?”

“That’s easy,” Garak yawned, “I’ve ordered them not to. Now if you _don’t mind_ Captain, I’d like to enjoy the remainder of my incarceration? Honestly this is the most sleep I’ve gotten in years!”

Sisko sighed and stepped out, grunting at Odo to book them all, and stormed off angrily to find _someone_ to grill for information on Cardassian behavior. Odo was obviously no help as he’d just given a confused shrug when questioned. Perhaps Kira would have the answers he sought.

XXX

The next day they used what little remained working of the computer systems to track the many cave structures that filtered through the moon. They found the nearest one and started debating ways to get there. Julian threw himself into focusing on the task of their survival, keeping his fear at bay by sheer force of will and distraction. He knew he was a broken man, all of the victim mentality was there if he chose to analyze it with a detached point of view.

Self blame.   
Disgust in his body.  
Fear of another assault.  
Anxiety over his predicament.  
Questioning his value as a person.  
Shame.

The shame was the worst bit because it was a familiar feeling, one he associated with being genetically engineered. One that made him recall that helpless sensation of his childhood when he just _couldn’t keep up_ , and now he was worse off. No mummy or daddy to pick him up and fix it now, no he was alone save for a strange and often dangerous Cardassian who might or might not help him in exchange for… what? Julian had nothing to offer. Not here. Perhaps he’d call in a debt in the future, but would he be able to pay it then? What would Garak’s help cost him? Was it worth the price?

A glance over at his assailants who were whispering with a few male members of their party sealed that deal for Julian. His fear reared its ugly head and he shivered in revulsion. What if they were plotting against him? What if next he’d be raped by the men as well? Forced to be their filthy sex toy in order to calm the masses. It made sense to keep him chained up. He was the doctor, their only doctor, so it was pointless to endanger him by letting him loose. Keeping him tied up and using him to quell their ardor while waiting for the next accident or sickness made a great deal more sense.

“You’re shaking, doctor,” Garak’s soft voice spoke at his elbow, “Don’t let them see. _Never_ let them see your fear. Arrogance, malice, outrage, insult, even light anger, now those you can show off in spades.”

They were perched on the backs of seats staring up at the computer screen at an awkward angle as the rest of the craft dangled beneath them. Their study of the surroundings had shown that their pod had fallen due to a large, burrowing animal. They had no idea as of yet if that creature was as harmless as the rest of the mobile life they’d encountered. It seemed the weather was predator enough on this planet. Only herbivores and parasites had been discovered so far. Julian was hoping to use the tunnel to make it to the nearest structure, hoping that they could travel by day and be protected in the tunnels. No one else was game. In fact, they were all giving him hostile looks and muttering things under their breath without agreeing to clarify once they’d been called out. He’d tried throwing his rank around, but no one was obeying him anymore. They just threw him nasty looks.

“They’re plotting something,” Julian whispered back, “I can feel it.”

“I imagine so,” Garak replied, “Have the sensors picked up any of the burrowers?”

“Yes, but they’re not registering much. I can scan for basic things around us, like mineral content, but I can’t pick up any definition such as what that creature’s diet might be. Apparently determining if something is predator or prey is beyond the capabilities of our damaged systems.”

“You said it scans for minerals?”

“Yes, so?”

“So scan their bodies for traces of other animal life.”

Julian beamed at Garak, “And if they register as none then we know they’re vegetarians! Brilliant, Garak!”

“You know, for a simple tailor I sometimes surprise myself.”

Julian rolled his eyes and performed the new search.

“Only plant life coming up in their bodies besides their own mass. They’re vegetarians. Completely harmless,” Julian smiled, “For gigantic worms larger than this pod, that is.”

“Provided they don’t roll on us,” Garak sighed, “I’ll go tell the others. They’re not exactly warming up to you.”

“Yes, I noticed,” Bashir nodded, and then propped his chin up on his hand as he tried to think of a way to reach the nearby caves. Once there the temperature should be more regulated, but they were miles away. They’d never reach it before they were killed by either heat or cold, depending on when they chose to leave.

“I have a proposition for you all,” Julian called down, “Two, actually.”

No one answered.

“Very well then, I’ll just take on option A and to hell with you all!” Julian snapped, and then headed for the doors.

“You can’t go out there,” Jake called, “The sun is rising!”

“I’ll take my chances!” Julian called out, and hurried out with Garak on his heels.

“You could have waited until it was warmer!” Garak shouted.

“No I couldn’t,” Julian replied, shouldering the sleeping bag he’d grabbed on his way out. Garak had one as well, thank goodness; “I wouldn’t make it far into the tunnel if I waited. I need to be fully underground when the sun reaches its zenith… and hope it’s cool rather than cooking me. Theoretically it should be, but if even one of my calculations are off… like they were with the tricorder…”

“I have absolute faith in you doctor,” Garak replied, his teeth chattering in the cold, “Shall we jog to keep warm?”

“I _am_ warm,” Julian sighed, “But you’re not and I need to hurry, so yes.”

“Wait!” A cry sounded out behind them.

Julian paused and glanced back to see Kor, the skinny Ferengi barman jogging after them.

“What are you doing here?”

“I know survivors when I see them,” Kor panted, “And those lot were _not_ survivors.”

“A very valid point,” Garak agreed, “One I was about to make myself.”

“Fantastic,” Julian sighed, “Let’s hope you’re both right. I’m not very optimistic at the moment.”

XXX

“They’re called Tasho-ba’al,” Major Kira explained, “During the occupation the Cardassians collected lovers to amuse them and sometimes they were treated differently. I never actually met one, but I heard a lot about them. It was supposedly an ancient system set up that would allow them to have both a mistress and a spouse without causing jealousy. The mistress- or mister, I suppose- would be isolated in the extreme. They were removed from their friends, family, and sometimes even their children if the primary spouse was barren. They couldn’t interact with anyone and no one was allowed to interact with them without _express_ permission. Supposedly that made the spouse feel special and fine with their partner having another significant other.”

Kira seemed dismissive of the idea, which wasn’t odd considering the fact that she was involved in such a deep relationship with Oda. What alarmed Sisko was that Bashir might be living that life for some strange reason, possibly against his will. He headed back to the prison where all the people had settled themselves down to wait out Garak’s imprisonment with stubborn efficiency. They were all calm, no sign of the fighting that had caused such a divide according to the records the three women had left behind. The men laughed and were affectionate with each other- overly affectionate in fact. Bashir remained cuddled against Garak’s side, but he wasn’t the only one pressing close to him. Everyone seemed to take a turn cuddling up to Garak’s free hip, though none kissed him as Bashir did. It disturbed Sisko to see his own son behaving so intimately with a man; if it were Jake’s sexuality he would be fine with it, but he knew his son and knew the young man was strictly interested in women and writing… probably not in that order.

“Jake?” Sisko asked, “Could I speak to you a moment?”

Jake stood up, a ready grin on his face as he headed over. He looked better having had a shave and a haircut, and it was good to see him smiling happily as he stepped to the edge of the prison chamber. Sisko stepped back, but Jake didn’t take the bait and step out of the prison. He gave his father an amused look, their easy silent communication reinstating itself as if it hadn’t been years.

“My granddaughter,” Sisko nodded in the direction of the little girl, “She’s half Bajoran.”

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Jake asked proudly.

“Shan is her mother,” Sisko stated.

Jake’s smile vanished, “We don’t talk about that.”

“It seems like you don’t talk about anything involving the women we found dead in a cave,” Sisko replied.

Jake gave him a very cold smile, “Let it go, dad. Focus on something else. They’re dead and nothing is bringing them back.”

“Okay. Let’s focus on something else. Bashir. He’s Tasho-ba’al.”

“Yeah.”

“You aren’t allowed to acknowledge him.”

“Uh, huh,” Jake nodded, his smile returning now that he was on a subject that didn’t bother him, “Technically I’m not even supposed to talk _about_ him, but Garak’s not so strict about that as long as _he_ doesn’t hear us.”

“Garak?”

“Julian.”

“Why would he care what Julian hears?”

“Because he loves him,” Jake replied, giving Sisko a look that told him he was blind for not seeing it already.

“What’s being said that makes it bad for Julian to hear people talking about him?” Sisko asked.

“Is this an interrogation?” Jake asked, making it a joke when they both knew it wasn’t.

“Is it?”

“You’ve heard the rumors.”

“Is that all they are?”

“Yeah. I told you that already. Julian wouldn’t _rape_ anyone.”

“Yet he has a child by two of the three dead women. Children he’s allowed to acknowledge, which doesn’t fit the Tasho-ba’al.”

“Garak doesn’t have any other lovers to be jealous.”

“Good to know,” Sisko stated, glancing over at Ralph as he snuggled against Garak’s side and whispered something in his ear, “So why initiate the Tasho-ba’al at all?”

“That’s not my business,” Jake replied. _Or yours_ was implied.

“Why is everyone so… intimate with Garak? Including you? That’s not who you are, Jake.”

“It’s not who I _was_ ,” Jake corrected, “Is it a problem that it’s who I am now?”

 _“Is it_ who you are now?”

Jake gave him a sad smile and turned away, shooing Ralph away from Garak’s side to press himself against the Cardassian. Sisko watched as whispered words were exchanged and then Garak sighed and extricated himself from between the two young men. Bashir went to where his children were playing with the others and watched their game while Garak headed over.

“You’re distressing my people,” Garak told Sisko, his tone mock scolding.

“Jake is my _son_.”

“And Jennifer is your granddaughter,” Garak replied with a sly smile.

Sisko winced. That was the first time he’d heard his granddaughter’s name amidst all the confusion. Once they’d arrested Garak everyone had clammed up and Jake had refused to give _any_ information about his daughter. Even to his father. Garak knew that and was using it to his benefit. The children were as closed up as their parents, not having been used to strangers they were understandably terrified of them; even Kaiko couldn’t get close to them.

“What exactly are you implying?” Sisko asked.

“Only that she should be having fun, not worrying about what’s upsetting her papa,” Garak replied, then turned and headed back to his little group.

XXX

Garak, Kor, and Julian were pressed tightly together, wrapped in two sleeping bags that had been joined together with the third draped over them like a tent. They shivered as they pressed against each other in the incredibly limited space, knowing that if they lifted the blanket too high they’d breathe in air cold enough to freeze their lungs but with too little air they’d suffer carbon dioxide poisoning. Julian was feeling increasingly crowded, and he had no idea how Garak was dealing with his claustrophobia, but he kept himself still despite his growing panic if only for the Cardassian’s sake. Garak’s arm slipped over his shoulder and he pulled Julian practically into his lap. Julian finished the move and straddled the smaller man, pressing his face against his shoulder. Kor swore and shifted closer to Garak, adjusting the third sleeproll worriedly.

“Don’t move so much,” Kor snapped irritably, “You’ll kill us all!”

“I’m _trying_ to stay warm,” Garak grumbled, “The doctor is _quite_ warm.”

Kor pressed closer, “Hmph, he _is_ warm.”

Julian found himself being pressed against by the shivering Ferengi as well and reached out arm to draw him in. Their shivering gradually stopped now that they weren’t leaving even a millimeter of space between them. They held each other tightly, rubbing at extremities and sleeping fitfully. When sun woke them not with light but with heat, their dark passage turning warm as they slipped free. By mutual understanding they took up a light jog through the early warmth, keeping a hand to the wall to guide them as they hurried through the roughly straight passage.

“There should be a fork ahead,” Garak estimated, “We’ll need to go to the right.”

They staggered through it and the temperature rose dramatically.

“Closer to the surface,” Julian panted.

“Or the sun crested the plants,” Kor wheezed.

“The sun almost _never_ crests the plants,” Julian grumbled, “It’s too damn thick.”

Their steps slowed, Garak moving on ahead of them as he was energized by the heat rather than weighed down. They were soon panting in their clothes, their mouths dry and their bodies weak. Garak doubled back for them.

“I suggest you remove your offending articles before they cost you your lives,” Garak advised.

“Take off our _clothes_?” Kor asked in horror, “Like a _woman_?”

Bashir was already stripping before the fear kicked in again. He swallowed it down. Garak wouldn’t hurt him, and he’d protect him from Kor if it came to that. He removed the last of his clothes and pushed them into the pack he carried, but Garak took it from him rather than let him don it again.

“I can manage it better than you in this heat. You kept me warm, I’ll keep you cool. Walk in the middle as much as you can, the breeze travels through there.”

They shifted into the middle and hurried on until they reached a more rocky area. Then they trod more carefully until they found the wall of the cave they’d seen on the map. Here the tunnel curved sharply to the right as the borrowing creature couldn’t dig through rock. They’d have to surface once the sun started to set.

“The problem is,” Julian worried, “We’ll feel the difference down here _far_ later than we would up there. By the time we emerge it could already be deadly for us. Especially for Garak.”

Garak nodded his concern, “However, I can head up now and survive quite easily. I’ll call for you when it’s safe.”

“What if the exit is too far off for us to hear you?” Kor worried.

“A good point. We’ll need a system,” Garak agreed.

“Marco Polo,” Julian decided.

“Sorry?” Garak wondered, giving him a concerned look in the light of their flashlight.

“It’s a children’s earth game. Take five steps and shout ‘Marco’. If we reply with ‘Polo’ then you know we can hear you.”

“A simple but effective solution,” Garak nodded, “But need I use such ridiculous terms? Can’t I just shout ‘hello’?”

“What fun would that be?” Julian asked.

“Ah, my apologies, my dear,” Garak replied sarcastically, “I wasn’t aware we were having _fun_. Do make a quick run when I call for you.”

Garak headed up the tunnel, shouting ‘Marco’ while Kor and Julian chuckled and shouted back ‘Polo’. After quite some time the shout didn’t return and Julian and Kor began to worry before a soft ‘Marco’ reached them again.

“No exit nearby!” Garak’s voice shouted back, soft and echoing with the distance, “Digging!”

“Okay!” Julian shouted back, then thought better of it, “Be safe!”

“Of course!” Garak’s voice sounded amused even from this distance.

They stood in silence for a time and then a shout returned to them, “Run!”

Julian and Kor bolted, chasing down the tunnel as fast as they could. It was still hot for them, the tunnel baking after the long day even as the surface cooled, but they had no choice. They were dizzy with want of water, having long finished their supplies, and Kor especially was suffering having come from a damp planet. It took far too long before they managed to reach Garak, but when they had he helped them up the slope and into the cold air where they immediately began to shake. Garak was worse off, his body all but convulsing with the cold. He had wrapped up in a sleeping bag and was speechless with chill. He nodded for them to follow him and started a staggering run through the thick foliage.

It was blissfully nearby and Garak led them into a cave with speed. Julian saw in the dim light that he’d coiled some vine to use as a lead in and out of the cave and they slipped down into the dark depths together. Eventually the chill became less so and they found a nook to curl into, wrapping themselves in blankets and rubbing warmth into their bodies. Julian and Kor hadn’t had time to redress during their run, nor did they do so now. They simply pressed close and waited for their body heat to catch them up. Garak’s cold hands eventually evened into moderately warm ones as they ran over Julian’s body. He pressed close as he had before, straddling one of each of Garak and Cor’s legs. They pressed their bodies to him, their outer legs pressed to his sides as they turned into each other. It could have been _very_ intimate, but each was simply trying to survive. Finally, exhausted and dehydrated, they dropped into fitful sleep.

When the lot of them awoke it was to find the blankets too warm. They slipped free and stretched before heading deeper into the cave system. It grew gradually cooler until it was fairly comfortable as long as they had their clothes off. Julian did put on his underwear again, but Kor had apparently embraced his nudity, so Garak was the only one who still looked civilized. They reached a larger cavern with water flowing down from a crack above and pooling in the middle.

“Not much space to sleep, but there’s water,” Garak stated, “ _If_ it’s clean.”

“Don’t care,” Kor replied, his voice hoarse with thirst, and stumbled into the water up to his neck. He gulped it down greedily and after a while Julian and Garak joined him.

The water wasn’t just refreshing it tasted _heavenly_. Julian gulped it down and then slid into the cold depths to splash himself over with the water. Garak stripped and then slid in beside him, hissing at the cold before quickly scrambling back out.

“You’re both mad! It’s frigid!” Garak shakily redressed while they scrambled out as well.

“It’s warm in here,” Julian pointed out, “Very warm. Almost hot.”

“Cardassian, remember?” Garak snapped.

Julian shook himself off and used his shirt to dry off before heading over to where the Cardassian shivered in his clothes.

“You shouldn’t be this cold,” Julian worried, “Even as a Cardassian.”

“And you know _so much_ about our biology?”

“Are you always cranky when you’re sick?” Julian asked.

“I’m not sick, I’m cold.”

“You’re cold when you _shouldn’t_ be,” Julian replied.

“Then _help me warm up_!” He hissed at him angrily as he tugged a sleeping bag around him.

Julian joined Garak in the blanket as the man sat cross-legged on the ground, straddling him as he had before, and the Cardassian buried his face in the human’s shoulder. He was shivering quite a bit so Julian rubbed his back. When his hands strayed up Garak’s shoulders the creature stilled and Julian relaxed a bit.

“Feeling better?”

“Much,” He replied, wrapping his arms tightly around Julian’s waist.

Julian smiled as he continued to rub a bit at his upper arms.

“We’re going to have to do this often,” Garak pointed out, “It will be how we survive.”

“Yes,” Julian agreed.

“We’ll all be seeing each other naked an _awful_ lot.”

“Yeah,” Julian agreed again, “When the heat gets dreadful and the clothes become ragged… it’s better to keep them safe during the day so we can wear them at night.”

“Exactly,” Garak agreed.

“And we’ll have to start eating meat. A lot of people will protest it, but it will be a necessity. We can’t regulate our diet for much longer.”

“Let’s back up,” Garak replied carefully, “To the nudity again.”

“Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable? I can dress,” Julian went to pull away but Garak tightened his grip again.

“Stay. I don’t care. It was a strange sight at first, all that toffee skin hanging about, but you aren’t unpleasant to look at. I was referring to our traveling companions who will surely be joining us in time.”

Julian felt his entire body tense and Garak began to stroke his back, soothingly rather than to warm him.

“I… I’m just…” Julian struggled.

“Hush. I know. I’m well aware,” Garak soothed, “I can protect you from them.”

Julian leaned into the comfort, relief overwhelming him.

“You’re alright with that suggestion?” Garak asked, his tone suspicious, “I thought I’d taught you better than that.”

“I’m aware you’ll collect on my debt at some point. I’m tired of being afraid and it hasn’t even been that long. I’d rather owe _you_ than fear _them_.”

“Except that I’m the only possible hunter. I can go out during the day when the animals are out and about. You’ll need to make more than _one_ alliance.”

Julian was silent a moment, “Kor. You convinced him to follow us. It wasn’t his idea.”

“I _may_ have dropped a few hints about the uselessness of our companions,” Garak admitted slyly.

“So what will I have to trade _him_?” Julian asked worriedly.

“I’m sure I don’t know,” Garak clearly lied.

“So he protects me by day and you by night?”

“We’ll play it off as if you and I are lovers,” Garak replied.

“Thought this through, have you?” Julian asked, careful to keep his tone neutral, “Is that my fee, then? Sex?”

Silence for a moment, and then, “I realize I have no moral leg to stand on, my dear, but I won’t manipulate you into bed with me while you’re so…”

“Vulnerable,” Julian supplied, “You might as well call it what it is. I take it from your lack of dropping the subject that you _are_ interested in going to bed with me?”

Garak sighed and shifted a bit, “You rubbing my shoulders was… pleasant. It’s an erogenous zone for Cardassians.”

“Sorry,” Julian replied, and then hesitated, “No. Not sorry.”

Garak drew in a shaky breath as Julian drew his hands over the ridges on his shoulders again. He leaned back a bit and found Garak’s mouth, pressing their lips together as the Cardassian moaned into his mouth and clutched his hips with a bruising grip before carefully pushing him away.

“No.”

“I’m fine with…” Julian started to argue.

“I’m not. Desist,” Garak stated firmly.

Julian’s hands fell away, “I’m sorry, I just…”

“It’s _fine_ my dear!” Garak soothed, his eyes dancing as they met Julian’s, “Everything is fine. Come now, let’s just spend some time discussing your options with Kor.”

“So I just walk up to him and say ‘hey, could you protect me from three women who are about as tall as you are and have less pointy teeth?’” Julian asked miserably.

“Goodness no!” Garak laughed, “That would be embarrassing.”

“A bit,” Julian agreed.

“I suggest you befriend him much as I did you.”

“And you think a Ferengi is going to be interested in my friendship?”

“I think you can peak his interest if you try,” Garak informed him, “And once his interest is peaked it’s only a matter of keeping it.”

“And that,” Julian asked in a disbelieving tone, “Will get a Ferengi interested in my friendship?”

“It’s how I got you to offer me sex just now, isn’t it?” Garak smirked.

XXX

“Entertainment?” Kor asked.

“Certainly,” Julian nodded, “After all it would be barbaric to charge for food or drink in our predicament, but _entertainment_ …”

“Yes, but there _is_ no latinum here,” The man groused.

“No, but there _are_ resources. You can have them pay you in food at first, leaving us free to design things for _more_ entertainment, and then pick something to stand as currency.”

“And when we return what will I do? Cash it in for latinum?” He asked scathingly.

“Yes,” Bishir nodded, “Consider it credit.”

“How will I know they’ve got it back home?”

“You won’t, but you can also collect on favors or business recommendations, or…”

“Or?”

“Or you could sit here and make no profit at all rather than take a business risk that might pay off in the future.”

“Tell me more about these Earth games that require no technology?”

“Let’s discuss _my_ fee first.”

“Now you sound Ferenginar. I like it. Name your fee, but be prepared to haggle.”

“We watch each other’s backs.”

“And?”

“And nothing. You never leave my side when Garak isn’t around. Not even for an instant.”

Kor’s eyes narrowed, “What am I protecting you against?”

“Garak’s jealous, but he trusts _you_. You just tell him at the end of every day that I was faithful.”

Kor paused a moment and then burst out laughing, “Pull the other ear!”

“It’s true! It’s a completely irrational but I won’t have it come between us, he means too much to me.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as we’re here. I promise not to be annoying, you’re welcome to tell me to shut up, and in return I’ll watch your financial back to make sure no one steals from you while you haggle with customers or tries to rob you or the like. I’m genetically enhanced: _very_ strong and _very_ intelligent. I’ve already got a few ideas for items we can make and sell as well.”

“Well… what if you sneak off and sleep with someone? I’ll not answer to Garak!”

“Not at all. My fee is your companionship. Of course, if someone were to… say… try and _coerce_ me into cheating on Garak, I suspect you’d be willing to defend me. Being your business partner and all.”

He considered the situation, smirked at Bashir’s gullibility, and shook on it.

“Fantastic! Now. Let me tell you about _carnival games_.”


End file.
